>> good evening from the time-warner cable arena in charlotte, north carolina i'm judy woodruff. >> i'm gwenifell. president obama's economic record takes center stage with immigration, education and reproductive rights. we will hea voices from c.e.o.sd auto workers to president of planned parenthood. the most anticipated speech will

be former president clinton who will nominate barak obama for a second term. our coverage goes beyond the skybox you with check out our coverage of the activities inside and outside the hall. >> down to the convention floor and to ray. >> part of the argument or the coupter argument the democrats are making to the republican convention in tampa has to do with filling out the president's recordment and here speaking for him in the coming minutes will be the democratic leader in the house of representative, nancy pelosi, and two members of president obama's cabinet. secretary of education arne duncan and secretary of agriculture and former iowa governor, tom vilsack. we will hear from north carolina luminaries the longest serving governor jim hunt and the former mayor of charlotte harvey b. gantt and leading later to the

anticipated speeches from massachusetts democratic senatorial candidate elizabeth warren and from the former president, bill clinton. >> ray we will be coming back to you throughout the night. up here in the skybox again we are joined with -- by these two dedicated pundits they are analysts. mark shields and "new york times" columnnist david brooks. you can beat up on me later. so picking up we were talking about the democrats being a party of different interest groups. tonight as we said, david, we are going to>.b hear from busins leaders in this party. a head of a big company, small business people. where do the democrats need to say about business? >> what is next? what is the growth agenda? if we were growing at 4% a year we would be generating enough jobs. what do you do? there's been a lot of vague talk that you need to grow the

economy up and not down is the phrase. what do you do? what exactly is the agenda? we are still in the where is waldo phase looking are to the agenda and the republicans have a secret agenda which they have but they did not talk about in the convention. the democrats have not talked about it i'm not sure they have it in the plans. what is the next four years about. >> and friday after the president accepted the nomination it will be a round of jobs numbers we are waiting to see whether the economy takes the wind out of the sail the day after he gets the nomination. >> if president obama follows the example of other presidents he will go long. and as humphrey said to hubert in order for a speech to be immortal doesn't have to be eternal. it will go until midnight or close there to. certainly we will be out of here early friday morning at 8:30.

those numbers come out. and that will be after the confetti and the balloons if there arefy and the punt something down that is the harsh reality. >> he will know that number before he goes to speak the president gets that number the night before. he will know it. >> talking about the business faces they are trying to put on the democratic party is that something can they change the perception of this party in the republicans spent so much time painting president obama and the democrats as a party that is unfriendly. i think that is a good message and a positive message. they've got successful business leaders. and ones who are renowned within the industries humane treatment of their own workers as well as their customers. and i think that's all a plus. and it shows that such people who have been successful are successful, are not really people that slave wages and 18 hours a day without any coffee

breaks can be successful and our democrats endorse barak obama. that is all good. 85% of people when they are asked what matters to you, say jobs, the economy, deficit and debt and healthcare. those are the big three. i mean, so anything else is just kind of playing at the ends and the margins. whether it's immigration or whatever it is. >> ok. we'll get back to the conversation because there's so much more to talk about including the big speeches from elizabeth warren and bill clinton. right now to the podium and join a.f.l.-c.i.o. president richard who started is just about to start his speech to the delegates. the flip side of the business conversation we have been having. >> good evening, brothers and sisters. i'm rich i'm the president of the a.f.l.-c.i.o..

and i am a third generation coal miner from pennsylvania. and i'm here on behalf of millions of people who do the work of america. remember last week, mitt romney told us that he and his friends built america without any help from the rest of us. well, let me tell you, mitt romney doesn't know a thing about hard work or responsibility. you see, we are the ones who built america. we are the ones who build itxvl every single day. because it's our work that connects us. i want you to look around this convention and all the hard-working men and women who make this place run. the ones keeping us safe,

serving our food, driving our buses and cleaning up after the party is over. and when we go home tonight, the workers will be mopping and vacuuming and picking up our trash. so when you have a chance, thank a worker. it will make you feel good all day. so we know that everywherer here in north carolina just like every other state in this country and every country in the world deserves the right to organize and to bargain collectively. and the democratic platform unlike its counterpart inu tamp, makes crystal clear that barak obama and the democratic party

will fight to protect and strengthen this fundamental human right. you see, my friends, our country has a big job to do. we have to rebuild the middle class together. our economy works best when it works for everyone. not just the select few. and our history teaches us that shared prosperity is the only kind that lasts. and we will have that under barak obama. in thenq 21st century global economy, prosperity requires leaders committed to creating good jobs by investing in our future, in our ports, roads, bridges, airports, energy, and telecommunications and in our public schools.

leaders who are serious about rebuilding our manufacturing economy, leaders like barak obama and joe biden. and we know that the wealthiest and most powerful among us, those who have benefited most in recent years, must do their part to help rebuild america. deep prosperity requires economic security. and we will stand with leaders who strengthens and protects social security and medicare and medicaid, not those who plan to cut benefits that working people paid for, earned and are counting on. prosperity requires democracy.

starting with the essential right of everyone in this great country to a voice, both at the ballot box and at the workplace. the right to solve problems together. and to climb the ladder to the middle class the old-fashioned way through hard work fairly rewarded. now, president obama and vice-president biden have put the country on the right path. towards jobs and shared prosperity. despite the obstruction they faced from a dishonest, politically motivated, economically challenged republic majority in congress. we face a choice in november between division and decline, between unity and growth. we love our country.

we build it. we defend t we wake it up each morning and we make it run all day. we fix it when it's broke. we put it to bed at night. our country needs unity. our country needs leadership. our country needs barak obama. >> that is richard, the president of the american federation of labor in congress of industrial organizations. joining us now in the booth is wisconsin congresswoman and candidate tammy baldwin. welcome. >> it is a delight to join you. last week in tampa it was about wisconsin paul ryan and tommy thomson and scott walker and cheese head revolution. i suspect you have a different take on wisconsin politics? >> i do. and in fact tomorrow i will get a chance to address the convention and talk about the wisconsin that i know. [h/ is a little bit different than the image i think people

saw in tampa last week. >> tell me about it. well, it's heartland values the work ethic. if you work hard and play by the rules you can get ahead but for too many people that is not happening and it it has to do with who is writing the rules and to whose benefit. and it's crystallized in the choice facing the nation and voters in wisconsin too. >> democrats have been a strong presence in wisconsin and yet governor walker with the moves to tighten up on collective bargaining, there was the effort to recall him from office that did not work. democrats have taken a beating in your state. how do you -- do you view yourself as the underdog fighting back? >> i think of our state as having a long, deeply and evenly divided tradition. if you think about it in the last since 1984, wisconsin has always gone blue in presidential years. but usually by a thread. and i think we are returning to that even division right now.

but you are right. we have had a lot of recall races. we've had nonstop elections in the state. one of the things i can say is both parties are as organized as we have ever been. the best organized volunteer lists. we are ready to go. >> what gives you hope then that your message is the one that is going to resonate with voters in november? >> there is a lot of similarities with what we're hearing at this convention. first of all, it's about whose side are you on? and i've spent my career standing up for hard-working middle class families in wisconsin. my opponent tommy thomson spent the last decade when he left from the bush administration giving a sweetheart deal to the drug companies and the medicare part d that we had in the law that they could not negotiate for better prices for our senior citizens and that is outrageous and wrong. and he did the revolving door thing and has been working for

them since. i've been fighting for wisconsin families. so who is writing the rules for whose benefit and whose side are you on and the difference on issues. >> congresswoman we've heard time and again about this convention about mitt romney about the fact that when he is not spending time in his mansion with the elevator and the cars, or chasing his money into the cayman islands or check on the swiss bank account he is indifferent. but what is the democratic point? what is senator tammy baldwin, barak obama, jobs for america? >> let me tell you, wisconsin is a state that makes things. as a percentage of our economy, we are one of the major manufacturing states in the country. and we are also suffering. we produce more paper than any other state. but there's unfair trade. our competitors, china in particular, subsidizing the industry to the tune of billions of dollars in recent years.

i introduced bipartisan legislation this year and got wrapped up into a larger trade bill but the president signed it and it allows tariffs when we know our competitors are cheating. you talk to the people in paper mills across wisconsin and other industries being affected by this and they want a fighter on their side. buy america policies. another important one and it doesn't cost us that much money. but when we are securing our homeland or spending taxpayer dollars on defense those ought to be supporting u.s. jobs. wisconsin builds ships. we are on the great lakes. wisconsin@).s"s engines and components for naval ships, coast guardships we need buy america policies also. >> you are supporting higher tariffs on boats, ships and steel you have a more aggressive trade policy that makes it harder to import things is the way to create jobs here? >> no, when there's cheating going on it needs to be

corrected. because if we don't have a level playing field how can we compete? you have billions of dollars of subsidies being given to what they are claiming is free enterprise in china. that is not a level playing field. it's hurting wisconsin jobs and closing wisconsin plants. it's happening elsewhere in the country. we need a level playing field. >> farmers in wisconsin export to china do they agree with you? >> i don't think they have any problems in tariffs on paper products. >> i am asking if they are afraid that china will slap on their products? >> we need fair rules and we need to be tougher in that regard. >> is wisconsin gettable for democrats either in your race against tommy thomson or the president now that paul ryan is the nominee? >> certainly the presidential race tightened in wisconsin before the ryan announcement, i think the president was enjoying a six or seven point lead in the

polls and that narrowed. but we had a visit from the first lady last week in milwaukee. a visit from the vice-president on sunday from in green bay. and this is going to be a competitive race. but i think we are back to that tradition in the state where we are pretty evenly divided and it will be a fight to the finish line for my race, too. >> tammy baldwin, congresswoman elected the same year as paul ryan. >> we are classmates. can talk about that. we are going to ask you to stay with us right now we are going to the floor for a video that will introduce the minority leader of the house nancy pelosi of california. >> our nation's ideal is the american dream. that if you are willing to work hard, play by the rules, and take responsibility everyone should have the opportunity to succeed. everyone who works hard should have the chance to climb, build,

and achieve the american dream. the difference is that there are those who believe that once they've made it, everyone else is on their own. democrats believe that we should take down barriers and build ladders of opportunity for all americans. we believe that we are all in this together. we believe that it's time to reignite the american dream. we are on a mission to strengthen those pillars that have historically made our economy succeed. small businesses, entrepreneurs, and a thriving middle class. we are the house democrats. our purpose is to reignite the american dream. and we have work to do. [♪] >> and this is nancy pelosi, the minority leader of the house. used to be she was the first woman speaker of the house of representatives when the democrats took overhanded her

gravel back to john boehner now the speaker of the house. here is nancy pelosi. [♪]:ñ4c >> good evening. good evening. good evening, fellow democrats. good evening. isn't that american dream story the story of america? we are all here to reignite the americanñr dream. that is why i'm so pleased to see so many young people, the

future of our party, the hope of america. i stand before you as the first mother and first grandmother to serve as dngic leader and first speaker of the house of representatives. for 25 years it's been my privilege to represent the city of san francisco and the great state of california. [cheers and applause] to work to strengthen our vibrant middle class and to secure opportunity and equality. we all stand together in our drive for 25, 25 seats to win back the house for the democrats. as we reelect president barak

obama, president of the united states. democrats believe in reigniting the american dream by removing barriers to success and building ladders of opportunity for all. so that everyone can succeed. jobs are central to the american dream. and president obama has focused on jobs from day one. under president obama we've gone from losing 800,000 jobs a month to adding 4.5 million private sector jobs over the last 29 months. the american dream is about freedom. jobs means freedom. for workers to support their families. working with president obama, democrats passed a lilly better

pay fair act to strengthen women's rights in the workplace. we repealed don't ask don't tell so our troops can serve the country they love regardless of whom they love. we made college more affordable. house democrats passed the dream act. but senate republicans blocked it. with president obama, democrats enacted the toughest consumer safeguards in history. to protect main street from wrecklessness of some on wall street. democrats passed healthcare reform to allow americans the freedom to pursue their passion, to make healthcare a right, not a privilege, and to ensure that being a woman is no longer a preexisting medical condition.

our freedom is secured everyday by our men and women in uniform. we must build a future worthy of their sacrifice. we thank them for keeping america the land of the free and the home of the brave. this year, we are determined reelect an extraordinary president, who in no ordinary times, led america back from the brink of depression while republicans tried to block him at every turn. this election offers the clearest choice of our time. many names are on the ballot. so, too, on the ballot is the

character of our country. why is that? medicare is on the ballot. democrats will preserve and strengthen medicare. republicans will end the medicare guarantee. it's just plain wrong. when you go to the polls, vote for medicare. vote for president obama. social security is on the ballot. democrats enacted it. democrats will fight to preserve it. some republicans want to replace the guarantee of social security with a gamble of private accounts. it's just plain wrong. when you go to the polls, vote for social security. vote for president barak obama.

and the hard fought rights of women are on the ballot. democrats trust the judgment of women. we reject the republican assault on women's reproductive health. it's just plain wrong. when you go to the polls, vote for women's rights. vote for president obama. and our democracy is on the ballot. democrats beef we must curb the influence of special interests on our political institutions. democrats believe we must create jobs, not protect the special interests. we must build the economy from the middle out. not the top down. to change policy for the middle class, we must change politics. democrats will work to overturn

citizens united. while republicans support opening the floodgates to special interest money and depressing the right to vote. it's just plain wrong. we believe in the government of the many not the privileged few. when you go to the polls, vote for democracy. vote for president barak obama. and the american dream is on the ballot. we have work to do to reignite the american dream to build ladders of opportunity for our middle class and remove barriers to success. when you go to the polls, vote for the american dream. vote for strong democratic

majorities in the united states senate, in the house of representatives, vote for vice-president joeñiñiñi biden d president barak obama. [cheers and applause] god bless you. god bless the united states of america. thank you all very much. >> the house minority leader, nancy pelosi. speaking to the floor enthusiastic reaction. still with us in the skybox is u.s. wisconsin congresswoman tammy baldwin run for the senate. mark you have a question. >> yes, you came to the congress the same year as paul ryan. and you have profound political ditches. and tell us what on a personal level what perm quality of his do you admire? >> we are friends. we actually came in in the same year and traveled and commute back and for the between wisconsin and dc together and we have managed to disagree without

being disagreeable. we have sharp differences on the issues. but probably the untold story in the toxic partisan political times there still are friendships and there still are opportunities to look for reaching across the aisle to get things done for the people. and sometimes on wisconsin issues, we've teamed up. >> if that is the case why is it so hard to get the two parties to work together? >> well, i think there is a lot of reasons. but i do think some of it is that we tend to focus on the sensational on the conflict. and we have trouble telling the story of when things do happen. it's rare and this is the most toxic i've ever seen the house of representatives, and but i still have faith in the system. i wouldn't be running if i didn't believe we could make it work again. i have faith in wisconsin's progressive tradition. remember it was the republican

who founded the progressive party but we can do this. and i wouldn't run if i didn't believe we could make progress once again and make democracy work. >> 20 months ago, the democrats suffered a historic defeat and you lost your majority in the house and that defeat was centered in the upper midwest it was michigan, wisconsin states like that and the state level and the federal level. what was the lesson of that defeat? >> there's lots of lessons to be learned. but i think in the end of the evaluation it was who stayed home and did not participate and who came to the polls. i don't think -- i think that people were so eager to see a much faster recovery. that we did not understand the magn[h we're facing this president and n his first two years. and people who wanted to see a faster pace of change stayed home. >> i have a funny question for you after listening to nancy pelosi speak now and thinking

back on michelle obama last night talking about being the mom and she nancy pelosi introduced herself as a mother and a grandmother. and we saw her daughter and granddaughter in the crowd. is it possibly a strong, efficient, accomplished political woman anymore without saying you are a mom first? >> i am not a mom. i guess it is -- absolutely. but i have to laugh about all the times where nancy pelosi has described her leadership in terms of motherhood and in terms of being a woman. and i think it does make her a powerful leader. and i think my life experiences that i bring to the job everyday also make me a strong leader. >> and can i follow-up. michelle obama could have told an alternative story that she went to princeton, she went to harvard law and became a successful lawyer. she went to the chicago hospital system making $300,000 a year.

top 1%. it was a successful career story. and she probably had doubts about leaving that behind. why is that not possible to tell that story? >> well, it is possible. but i think people want to know a little bit more about especially leaders who place their names on the ballot. part of the background that shapes me greatly was being raised by s9÷ grandparents. and my grandmother was 56 when i was born. so i saw as a very young person, medicare and social security making a difference in my family. that is important to why i fight so hard to make sure that those programs or promises as i call them, are around for a lot longer. so i think the personal narrative is important as well as the professional cv. >> there's so many more women today serving in congress and the senate than there once were.

is it getting easier or every bit as hard to raise money to get elected? >> what i would say is we see increasingly women taking leadership roles. when i first came to the congress 14 years ago there were no committee chairs who were women and we did not have women in visible leadership roles like leader pelosi was and that is changing. and that is changing beyond the numbers. but there are still only 17 women out of 100 in the u.s. senate. and we need to see greater change than that. >> and down on the floor they are about to celebrate those women in the u.s. senate. senator would be tammy baldwin. thank you for joining us. >> it is a pleasure. we are going to go to theñi flor where we will see the largest contingent of democratic women senators they are about to walk on to the stage and we are going to hear first from senator barbara mikulski of maryland, she has served the longest and

she was first elected in 1986. >> diane feinstein. we are going to hear from barbara mikulski and they will introduce each one of these women one at a time. we saw senator diane feinstein and now barbara boxer and we will listen to the rest. a member of the democratic leadership in the senate and the first woman to ever chair the senate veterans affairs committee, washington state senator, patty murray. a senator leading our effort to make things and grow things in america, michigan senator debbie stabanau. standing up for the middle class and working with the farmers and

businesses of her state, from the land of 10,000 lakes, the great state of minnesota, senator amy clabashar. the first woman in the united states history to be elected governor and u.s. senator, new hampshire senator jean shaheen. senator hick begin a senator to fights to keep north carolina first in education and first in honoring our military troops and veterans. fighting to make sure we see made in america again, new york senator kirsten gill brand. and now, the america's women senators and fighter for the middle class here is the history-making senator from maryland, barbara mikulski.

>> good evening. i'm senator barbara mikulski from the great state of maryland. [cheers and applause] 26 years ago, i became the first democratic woman elected to the senate in her own right. i was the first but i made sure i wasn't the only. [applause] today we're proud that there are more women serving in the united

states senate right this minute than served in all of american history when i arrived. but we want more. [applause] now, we democratic women of the senate are like the olympic team as you can see, we come in different sizes but we sure are united in our determination to do the best for our country. we build families. businesses and communities. we are sunday schoolteachers and former governors. prosecutors and moms in tennis shoes. i was. [applause] i was a social worker for baltimore families. now, i am a social worker building opportunities for families throughout america.

friends, we work on macro issues and work on the macaroni and cheese issues. when women are in the halls of power our national debate reflects the needs and dreams of american families. women leading being that congress is working to create jobs. make quality childcare more middle class. because we understand the american we love grows the economy and opportunity from the middle out, not the top down. these are our priorities. these are president obama's priorities. we know that every issue is a woman's issue.2 [applause]

and equal pay for equal work is an all-american issue. the 77 cents that women make for every dollar men earn makes a real difference to our families. families stretching to make every dollar count. we are so proud that the first law signed by president barak obama was the lilly ledbetter fair pay act. the first bill was about america's first principles. equality, opportunity, and prosperity. now, those republicans in the senate tried to block our efforts to go further. and anti-dis-- end discrimination once and for all but we the women of the senate with president obama by our side we are going to keep fighting. our shoulders square, our

lipstick on because you deserve equal pay for your hard work. [applause] nothing gets done more nothing gets done more to improve the day-to-day lives of american women in our families than healthcare reform. before healthcare reform women, can you believe this? women would be charged 50% more for their health insurance than men. in nine states. listen to this. in nine states, victims of domestic violence were denied coverage simply because of those victims. well, anyway, you know what was happening. our mammograms and our cancer tests, draining the family budgets. often we had to go without to pay for the services and we've

tried to change that. millions of american families know that we are just one medical catastrophe away from financial disaster. now, we democrats believe in family responsibility, not family bankruptcy. [applause] with healthcare reform, we are making gender discrimination by those insurance companies illegal. we insure life saving preventative services and the full range of reproductive services are now covered. [applause] because of president obama's leadership, being a woman is truly no longer a preexisting condition. [applause] we the democratic women of the senate have worked with our president to do a lot to strengthen families and restore

security in the middle class. and the first family withstand with our military families. now we are ready to do more and for that we need reinforcements. take a look at the women running this year. those who can help us and the president, get the job done for you. god bless you and god bless america. [applause] [♪] >> so that was barbara mikulski as you introduced a few minutes ago. senior woman senator you are still here in the crowd cheering these women. there are more than there have ever been. there they are. talking about macaroni and cheese issues. >> i'm not sure what that means

but it is a baltimore thing. >> well, the music is universal maybe. >> so we are back in the skybox with mark shields "new york times" columnist david brooks and joining us caroline kennedy. >> it's good to see you. great to be here. thank you. >> how many conventions is this for you? >> well, the last three or four, i guess. going back. intensely and this is the spectator. >> the last time you were here you were withkdç your uncle with whom you were very close, ted kennedy he is no longer with us. >> i felt like he was here last night maybe. >> i was going to ask you that. did. it was so petty to be somehow worked his way in there. and sort of -- >> the video where he relived the debate with mitt romney. >> that was nice. how does this party feel different to you?

you made an impassioned appeal to folks to vote for barak obama. four years ago. how does this convention feel and this year feel different to you? >> well, this convention is exhilarating. we are going to be halfway through and tonight is going to be, i think spectacular and of course is waiting for tomorrow to hear the president and there is a sense of excitement and we've heard perhaps this year that people are not engaged but i think last time was exhilarating with the primary process and now this year people have been waiting to kind of get into it again. and i think this is a great kickoff. >> i want to read the words that you wrote four years ago in the "new york times" piece which you surprised everybody by endorsing barak obama and repeated them on the floor of the convention when you spoke in 2008. you said i've never had a president that inspired me the way people tell me my father inspired them. a lot of people who were inspired are going not this time

around. you don't hear that? >> well, i actually i went to florida, i went to new hampshire earlier in the year. and virginia. and i really found people were incredibily engaged and motivated on the issues and i think last time there was such an exhilaration with the process and sort of being able to engage for so long. but i think that people have this has been a sobering four years for everyone. and i feel underneath it all there is a continuity of spirits that goes back to 1960 when my father was elected and that generation is engaged. and the younger generation who everybody says is you know, disconnectedded, is really i, i think, ready to reengage now that this campaign has started. so i don't really see that as much as other people do. i think it maybe below the surface but i think it will explode after the convention. >> one of the highlights of four

years ago was american university when you and your uncle came out with obama. and it was exciting. now --. >> i don't get that often but go ahead. >> what was it? and michelle did talk about his character last night. what specifically about his character is the thing that is still exciting you? >> well, i think he has shown tremendous courage in his presidency. i think he has been a steady leader who has really taken some tough decisions that weren't gauged to the political thing. going forward on healthcare, was absolutely a courageous decision because it was the right thing to do. he knew he would pay a politicl price for t and saving detroit and ending the war. all these things there is a tremendous record of accomplishment that people sort of glossed over in their eagerness to talk about the mood. and people will focus on those issues and the choice that we

face in this election because the two candidates and two parties could not be more different. >> poll after poll have told us [inaudible] and what would you say is the undecided voters right now, are the three basic differences between the democratic party and the republican party? >> well, i would say that the democratic party is really on the side of families and working families. it's certainly on the side of women. and i think it's positions on children and education a long-term investment in the future of this country are the president has been incredibily strong on that with the race to the top and early childhood education. and i think in foreign policy he has kept us safe and ended the war in iraq and i think that really as the first lady was talking about, we have gotten to know him. and i think has demonstrated the character and the leadership that we need. during this difficult time.

>> and why is the race tied? well, i mean, the economy is tough. and it's hard times. and so i think that -- but i think everybody should really take advantage of the privilege that we all have living in this country and do research on the things that matter to them. this is going to be a close election and votes will count. and i grew up hearing it's one person, my father would not have been elected president and we know that was a tremendous choice. people should realize that their vote counts and they should really take advantage and get involved. it's fun. >> caroline kennedy you've studied history the daughter of a president someone close to someone your uncle, ted kennedy who ran for president. the republicans have really tried to paint this president as a socialist practically somebody who just wants government to takeover everything. how do you see the right balance

today? in this point in american history? between government and the private sector? clearly something is changing in what americans perceive about that. >> i think that is true. i think the whole economy is changing the world economy that we live in now. i think that government really has a role to play in people's lives and in helping us look out for each other. and in people who want to serve and i think that is tremendously important. i think as you say, times are changing. so we maybe need to realign that balance but overall there is a lot of rhetoric that obscures what is going on. and i think we really need government in this country. and i'm proud to be a democrat who believes in government. >> you mentioned rhetoric. did you watch the republican convention last week? >> not enough. not enough. >> what did you see what did you read about it, hear about it or

witness that struck you that defined the party as the same or different from what you've known it to be? >> well, you know, i think that we are going to see we saw last night a tremendous contrast of what we saw last week. and i think we have a president who is on the side of working families that the rhetoric and the positions are lined and i don't think we saw as much of that last week. >> and the republicans your father defense spending are they wrong to say your father is an example? >> he was a good president. 's glad that they want to be more like him. >> is this something that you can imagine i know you had the idea of getting into politics. i don't know that flirting is the right word. >> you were in buffalo knocking on doors and shaking hands. you decided not to do it then. would you decide to do it again? is it a possibility? >> i don't know. i don't think so. but obviously this is

tremendously exciting so i'm happy to be here and be part of it. >> how much are you going to be involved this fall? >> i don't think there's anything more important that any of us can do than give as much time as we have in the camp. i would love to do what ever i can to help. >> and you think the enthusiasm is coming back. >> ky not hear you. so i lost my train of thought halfway through one of my answers because of the screaming so loud. >> what about out in america where it will spread. >> it's contagious. caroline kennedy. thank you very much for joining us. >> thank you. thank you. >> thank you. and now let's go back to the floor and ray?ñr >> i'm with heather smith, the president of the nonpartisan organization rock theñi vote. if youçó are nonpartisan what ae you doing at the democratic national convention. >> we are both at democratic nationalñm week we were inñr the republican national convention here to make sure that all of the politicians

remember if they are thinking of running that young people are one quarter of the electorate we are a powerful force and we want to make sure that the issues are of concern by the youngñr people get addressed. >> one thing that complicated allçó voteriñr advocacy organizations, jobs thisçó election season has been state legislatures rewriting theird&>" day. how has that complicated your life? >> all the new changes in the election laws it's changing the playing field for us. and it's both distracting n florida we had to spendñi time fighting a lawsuit that was tryingçó to restrict voters registratienñ drives in the state. but it took a lot of time and energy to do tñr and other stats like pennsylvania the voter id laws aw low income youth. we are having to changeçó our ge plans educate a population and get them theñi id's before they cançó cast açó baílmt.

adding additional work and confusion as we prepare first time voters to cast a ballot this november. >> a big part of your job is talking about youth voting. but this mustñr be a tough timeo they areñ;under so many pressurs from the bad economy? >> yes, it isxd a different time than it was fovb years ago.ñi i will not lie about that. it is when we go to theñr campuses, we are some of the only peopleaç there. and they are coming to us and saying is this where i register? we haveçó not had.nb that excit and organizing happening in ther youth communities. young people are discouraginged they are frustrated with theñi political process. nothing happens by accident. it takes añi lot of hard work bt we need to get out there our country depends on it and have the conversations about why voting matters and why getting ent#t is the best way to address the issues that they are very, very concerned with today. >> heather smith, with rock the vote. good luck. >> thank you veryñr much. and the interview before the

hall filled up and it'sxd quite if you want to hear them youñi n hear them on live stream. i wanted to pick up on whereáqhe vote. every year is the year ofçó the woman and every year we hear about how the youth voteñi is going to rise up and make a difference. have you found that to be true? >> the balding white maleñiñr ii problem. >> i believe there were many years like that. >> the youth voteñr is interestg because 2008 was the exception they came out and voted. but the other interesting thing about the youth vote is there are clear generational parents by -- patterns by age and voting. seniors are republican. and people in their 20s are democratic. the gaps in the middle are interesting. people in their 30s and 40s have similar patterns where they trend democratic and now they have come back and it's even. those two groups moved substantially towards tied positions and the youngest the

new voters are remarkably democratic. and that has to worryçó republicans. >> there is some thinking mark that depending who was president and what party was dominant when you were a teenager when you came to of age to vote, that is the party that you tend to stick with. if you stay with that party. >> first time i voted i voted for caroline kennedy's father. and not saying that that was a defining moment but it does expló)s a lot from that point forward. but i don't think there's any question about it. and yet, i know those in the generation before me it was eisenhower. and richard nixon was fascinating in the sense that his administration went after young people particularly spiro ago knew and drove young people into the democratic party that they energized. and ronald reagan brought back the young to the republicans. and i think part of that was optimism. part of it was again

performance. and we are all pragmatists. if it works, we like it. and if it doesn't, we'll try something else. >> a fine book of political science called partisanñi hearts and minds how do people form theirñi party affiliation. most inherit from parents butñi those who don't, look at sociali identifity. what party is more filled with people like me.çó it's not policyñi is it's who is like me. and the democrats are moreñr lie me, then they become liberals.ñi the ideology followsñr the socil identity. if a party really seems we get are doing with today's young people they have advantages that stretchñi for a longtime. >> but if in orderñr to get youg excitement to get them to h up. maybe t¢"ñ is why we are beginning to;÷çh$ear some of the obama people mourn the fact they cannot have the huge stadium rally tomorrow night. because of theñi wei& but also because they are going to lose the opportunity to organize a lot of the folks who

need to beñi organized. beirut what about >> i think that is a real concern of the campaign. i think some respects the meterologists may have done a4- nationally. it's farñi more acceptable to se him give a speechñr in a traditionalçó venue rather thann a largeñi stadiemu withñi 80,00 people in a time ofñr 8.2% unemployment and a senseñwi is s a disconnect fromñi what is goig on in theçóñr country. thisçó theñr enthusiasm will be great d the speech will be the same. and i'm not sureñi that a 10-minute entrance into a stadium being greeted and feted by the crowd that is necessarily helpful to the election.t-/a&c c a state like this. >> the grandiosity, i think they do not need now. i agree.çó one thing that is symptomatic

they are giving the peopleçó tht areçó disappointed they are givg them conference calls. he should come back and do añi specialñr event with them. he should come back and say you worked your 99 hours i will come back. >> from your lips to god's ear in a battleground state maybe they are listening. right now backçvo the floor ton ray. >> judy i'm joined onñr the flor byñr veteran texasñr congressman charles gonzales. youñr are leaving the the end of this year. why didñi you decide not to run? >> i've hadñi a great career 14 i think i have one last career in me. i will missñ)hrá tremendously. but i have some really qualified people that are going to be following as i leave. so good hands, great future. >> you spent some of that time in the majority and some in thei minority how have you seen the congress change in your years of service? >> the saddest thing when i got there 14 years ago we used to have dialogue and conversations

with the republican side. there was reasonable compromise. we reached consensus on many things. they were in the majority during that time. and something broke down. after we took the majority, we attempted to include them in some of the proposals but at that point, it was over. and then with the election of president obama, they became totally entrenched and then in 2010 we had such an infusion of tea party-type ideology that it was not going to be moving as far as again the dialogue, the communication and any compromise. if you look at the united states senate, tove plus filibusters in the past five years, i think that speaks for itself. we have to move forward. >> not only is your career in the congress coming to an end but an era.ñr your father henry gonzales serveed from 1960 on. and it is a half a century of gone

texas s there i alittle bit ofñi regret? >> it's tremendous. it's bittersweet don't get me wrong butof representing san and following in your father's footsteps. god has been good to me swainchts texas is -- >> suarez: texas is right now fight being its own future and the remap for the 2010 crennous. what do you think of what is happen something in. >> all the redistricting discriminating against minorities, all the voter suppression laws they are not going to hold true. the day is still coming when the minorities in texas their voices will be heard despite the legislative obstacles placed before them as i speak. s they a last ditch effort but it's the last the breath, i guarantee you. it's not going to work. >> suarez: thank you for joining us. >> it's a pleasure. thank you for everything you do. >> suarez: book to you. >> we're listening